Shelby: Meeting Lauren
by Holly Chase
Summary: I flung open the door; I was in a crappy mood, off from a crappy school and I just wanted to forget about how awful the day had been. But whatever I go through is never enough for any sort of sympathy. So I had to answer the freaking door even though my legs felt as though they were going to fall off.


Meeting Lauren; Shelby

I flung open the door; I was in a crappy mood, off from a crappy school and I just wanted to forget about how awful the day had been. But whatever_ I_ go through is never enough for any sort of sympathy. So I had to answer the freaking door even though my legs felt as though they were going to fall off, the taunts from the girls still echoing in my head.

Even as I slammed the door open, the jeering and names still brought a sick feeling to my mouth. Just to let you know, my life is not someone I would wish on anyone, except maybe Amy Brighthouse, but she's so horrible she doesn't really classify as human, right?

Anyway, main reasons for my moodiness:

One) Mom; she had been even worse than usual that week. Ghosting around the house, tiding up everything. Whenever she got like that, dad always said how 'life was very hard for her' and 'how she missed _Martha'_.

Two) Amy Brighthouse; Chloe and I had been out shopping, 'cause that's what teenagers do, when we ran into the 'Pink Team' (aka my worst nightmare). Amy seemed to think that making my life as horrible as she could was 'cool', and whatever Amy thought was 'cool', well everyone else thought it was 'cool' too.

Are you seeing why my attitude wasn't the best that day? So when I saw a nervous girl standing on the step, I admittedly wasn't 'specially polite. You try acting all bubbly and cute when you're in a crappy mood. I glared at the girl and she stared back at me, almost desperately.

"Can I help you?" I asked after an awkward pause. Now that I looked at her properly, I realized that she couldn't be that much older than me. Long dark hair, pale skin, slim and middle-height all in all just your average girl. But the way she was staring at me made her seem different; she gawped at me as if I were an alien. Which I'm not.

"I… I…" she began, I gazed at her suspiciously. When she didn't carry on speaking I narrowed my eyes. I didn't have all day; well, I did but I could think of about seven better ways to spend it then to stand here waiting for some girl to stop panicking.

"What do you want?" my voice sounded slightly harsh, even to me; harsher than I had wanted it to sound anyway. After all, I am a teenager now so I have to act tough. It's all part of the package.

It worked though, a moment later she began speaking. "I'm looking for Mrs Purditt, Martha's mother," that threw me, nobody comes here about Martha anymore; I don't really even remember her. I've tried and tried to remember even the smallest thing about her. Her eyes, or her smile, or her scent; I just can't. I don't even look at photos anymore. It's only mom now. Dad says that it's time to move on, that she isn't coming back, but mom won't listen.

"It's Martha I've come about," she babbled, she looked nervously at me, as if I might jump at her. "She went missing a - a long time ago." My eyes widened in surprise, and then it all fell into place. Amy. She must have put this girl up to it. Pain pierced my heart. Amy had no limits in her cruelty, but I never imagined she would go this far.

"Who put you up to this?" I hissed, already imagining Amy's spiteful face. "Was it Amy Brighthouse?" She looked at me as if I had grown an extra head. That was the last straw. I heard mom's voice call from the kitchen, asking who it was. I didn't know and I didn't want to find out. Mom didn't have to find out about this if I played it right.

"Go away; what you're doing is sick. It's so totally uncool I can't believe it." That wasn't quite true; I had learnt long ago that Amy would do anything to weaken her victim before going for the kill. That's a metaphorical 'kill' by the way; I don't think anyone has been killed by Amy, yet.

I pushed the girl back, slightly proud that I was able to shove her back. I stepped out after her, pulling the door behind me. There was no need for mom, dad or especially Madison to hear what I was planning on saying. I thrust her in the chest with all the strength in my 'PE-with-Coach-Bradson' muscles. I hope it hurt. She lurched backwards arms flailing.

I heard the door open behind me.

"Crap," I muttered under my breath, so much for dealing with it alone.

"Hello?" mom made the greeting sound like a question, something she has always done. Her gaze flickered towards me for a moment. "Are you one of Shelby's friends?"

"No mum," I protested, why wouldn't she just leave? We had enough drama in our lives without mom going into shut-down mode, again. "She's here on some sicko dare." That's about the strongest language I use in front of mom.

I turned back towards the girl on the path. She was staring at mom with confusion dancing in her eyes. She cast her stare up and down mom, focusing on her face a moment before her eyes filled with tears and her gaze clouded. Mom's brows knitted, like they do when she's puzzled.

"Who are you?" she asked, glancing from me to her in bewilderment. The girl gawped at us; she chewed her lip as if contemplating what to say. I was just about to lose whatever cool I had hung onto and start swearing when she opened her mouth and began to speak again.

"I think I might be Martha."

There was silence. Mom inhaled sharply, but in my mind there was nothing but fury. Amy had crossed the line. Me, fine; but bringing mum into this was taking our grudge too far.

"You total freak show," my head pounded with rage as I stopped myself from pulling out her hair. I shoved into her one more time. But the girl didn't look at me. Just mom. I felt mom take a step back and heard the doors' quiet squeak that dad never got round to oiling.

"Come in," mom said quietly.

"No!" I screamed, _no, no, no!_ "No way! Don't you see? She's doing it for a dare!" Blood roared between my ears like the surf. I had to make mum understand that some people didn't care how agonizing it was. That some people didn't care what they did, as long as it broke someone. Mom ignored me and the girl walked past me, nose in the air. I followed, grinding my teeth. Then the solution came, dad. Super calm, super collected and super at dealing with mom.

"It's not her mom," I tried one more time shaking mom's arm forcefully. "Mom? Oh for God's sake! I'm going to get dad." I rushed out of the house; he had been outside with Madison and a couple of business partners when I had last checked.

"Dad!" I called, my voice rising in panic. I had left mom alone with her alone now. "Dad!" I called again, tears threatening to spill over. Madison appeared from around the corner.

"Shelby?" I ran past her, "Shelby, what's happening? What's wrong?" I sprinted over to where dad was sitting with some men. I recognized one of them. Matt, I think.

"Shelby," dad grasped my shoulders, his face filling my vision. I gasped huge gulps of air before blurting out the story.

"A girl… I opened the door. I couldn't have done anything, mom came over… dad… and she says she's Martha!" That was all I needed to say, dad jumped to his feet. The two men glanced at each other, then at Madison.

"Martha's our sister, she was taken. I never knew her. Not ever. And Shelby, is it really her?" I took off after dad. I heard Madison calling after me, but I couldn't stop. Then there were footsteps; some light and pattering across the lawn and others heavy and leaded.

As I caught up with dad he asked me angrily, "What did she say? The exact words?" Gasping I pushed open the door, and fell into the room. Madison, who had somehow caught up to me, appeared beside my elbow. Then dad, Matt and the other guy came in.

The imposter looked from one of us to the other, as if trying to make connections. Her eyes were wide, like a wild animal's.

"Is that her?" Dad sounded scary as he took a huge step towards the girl. He grabbed her shoulder, turning his back to us. Madison looked up at me and mouthed, 'Who is she?' to which I shrugged.

"Who are you?" dad continued. "What are you doing here?" His voice shook.

"It's Martha, Sam," mom whispered, "I really think it is."

Madison started jabbering at me almost immediately, as I desperately tried to explain to dad's increasingly confused friends.

"Shut-up Madison!" I snapped angrily, she fell into silence.

I heard mom burst into tears, I heard dad's roaring. I was doing my best to answer all questions and explain things. Our voices rose to screeches as we tried to make ourselves heard over everyone else. The only voice missing was Madison's.

"Look, what is happening?" Matt suddenly exploded.

"That's what I've been saying!" I screamed, anger clouding my vision. "She," I pointed in the direction of the girl, who was standing there, mouth open as if she couldn't believe what was happening, "is pretending to be my sister Martha, who went missing twelve years ago!"

I pulled at my hair. Mum was bent over hair falling over her eyes: "Look at her," she was saying over and over, "she looks just like you."

Dad wasn't listening, "You have to let go!" He said, I'd never heard my dad sound so sad and so in pain ever before.

Then a loud voice thundered from the doorway shocking us all into silence. "QUIET!" It roared; the owner of the voice wasn't any more discreet than that either. A huge man filled the entire frame. He was at least seven inches taller than everyone else. Then he smiled, and before anyone could say anything or tell him to mind his own freaking business he spoke again:

"I think," he began his voice a low rumble now; "perhaps everyone should be calm and listen to Lauren."-

We all turned slowly towards the dark-haired girl in the centre of the room.

**A/N: This is just something I wrote for a school essay, and I thought I may as well put it on FanFiction. ****It's basically Shelby's POV of chapter 21: Inside. Hope you like it!**


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